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What the sources say

Turkey VultureCathartes aura

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Turkey Vulture profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 47 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018

Cathartes aura. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697627A131941613.

The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern.
The source saysLeast ConcernNote: assessed 2018; category read via GBIF's copy of the Red List

Source
02

Kirk et al. 2024

Kirk et al. (2024). Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). Birds of the World.

The page saysOpen country from southern Canada to southernmost South America
The source saysbreeds from southern Canada to southernmost South AmericaNote: stats.habitat
The page saysOpen country from southern Canada to southernmost South America
The source saysparticularly common in open country such as farmlandNote: stats.habitat
The page saysFinds carrion by smell, even beneath forest canopy
The source saysenables individuals to locate concealed carcasses beneath vegetative cover, including forest canopiesNote: stats.superpower
The page saysIts highly developed olfactory sense (the sense of smell) lets it find concealed carcasses beneath forest canopies.
The source saysThe highly developed olfactory sense of the Turkey Vulture enables individuals to locate concealed carcasses beneath vegetative cover, including forest canopies.
The page saysBlack vultures often follow turkey vultures to food and sometimes crowd them off a carcass through sheer numbers.
The source saysThe Black Vulture often follows the Turkey Vulture to food and sometimes displace them at carcasses through sheer numbers
The page saysThe species breeds from southern Canada to southernmost South America.
The source saysbreeds from southern Canada to southernmost South America
The page saysBirds of the World calls it the most migratory and widely distributed vulture in the Americas.
The source saysthe most migratory and widely distributed vulture in the Americas
The page saysTurkey vultures nest in dark recesses beneath boulders, on cliff ledges, and in caves and hollow trees.
The source saysnests in dark recesses beneath boulders, on cliff ledges, and in caves, hollow trees
The page saysMany do. Birds of the World says three North American subspecies are partly migratory, and millions of the western one, meridionalis, fly to Central and South America.
The source saysThree North American subspecies are partly migratory, with millions of the western subspecies, meridionalis , migrating to Central and South America
The page saysAt least some populations in temperate South America head north for the austral winter.
The source saysAt least some populations of temperate South American subspecies migrate northward to temperate or tropical sites for the austral winter.

Source
03

Mandel et al. 2008

Mandel et al. (2008). Movement ecology of migration in turkey vultures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The page saysOne vulture wore a heart-rate logger for 124 hours of flight over 38 days.
The source saysA turkey vulture fitted with a heart-rate logger during 124 h of flight during 38 contiguous days
The page saysIts heart rate rose only a little as its daily distance grew, which suggests soaring does not greatly increase the energy cost of flight.
The source saysshowed only a small increase in mean heart rate as distance traveled per day increased, which suggests that, unlike flapping, soaring flight does not lead to greatly increased metabolic costs
The page saysA turkey vulture is more buoyant than other vultures, and a heart-rate logger showed soaring barely raised its heart rate
The source saysA turkey vulture fitted with a heart-rate logger during 124 h of flight during 38 contiguous daysNote: vibe.reason
The page saysA turkey vulture is more buoyant than other vultures, and a heart-rate logger showed soaring barely raised its heart rate
The source saysshowed only a small increase in mean heart rate as distance traveled per day increased, which suggests that, unlike flapping, soaring flight does not lead to greatly increased metabolic costsNote: vibe.reason

Source
04

Bohrer et al. 2011

Bohrer et al. (2011). Estimating updraft velocity components over large spatial scales: contrasting migration strategies of golden eagles and turkey vultures. Ecology Letters.

The page saysA scavenger with a real nose, and a habit of riding warm air.
The source saysturkey vultures nearly exclusively used thermal liftNote: tagline
The page saysA GPS tracking study found that turkey vultures nearly exclusively used thermal lift on autumn migration across eastern North America.
The source saysturkey vultures nearly exclusively used thermal lift, whereas golden eagles primarily use orographic lift during migration
The page saysA GPS tracking study found that turkey vultures nearly exclusively used thermal lift on autumn migration across eastern North America.
The source saysduring autumn migration across eastern North America tracked using GPS tags

Source
05

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Cathartes aura. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysA scavenger with a real nose, and a habit of riding warm air.
The source saysTurkey vultures have a well-developed sense of smell and are one of the only species of birds worldwide that uses smell extensively.Note: tagline, with the thermal claim below
The page saysAnimal Diversity Web counts the turkey vulture among the only bird species worldwide that uses smell extensively.
The source saysone of the only species of birds worldwide that uses smell extensively
The page saysA turkey vulture is 64 to 81 cm long
The source saysRange length 64 to 81 cm
The page sayswith a wingspan of 170 to 183 cm
The source saysRange wingspan 170 to 183 cm
The page saysIt weighs 0.85 to 2 kg, depending on the subspecies.
The source saysDepending on the subspecies, turkey vultures vary from 0.85 to 2 kg
The page saysIts wings carry little weight for their surface area, which makes it more buoyant than other vultures and better at using thermals, columns of rising warm air.
The source saysBased on their wing surface to weight ratio, turkey vultures have light wing loading. This makes them more buoyant in air than other vultures and better able to utilize thermalsNote: 'columns of rising warm air' is the page's gloss of a thermal, not quoted
The page saysIt cannot get through the thick skin of larger animals, so it waits for some decay to open up the body cavity.
The source sayscannot get through the thick skin of larger animals, so must wait for some decay to enable entering body cavities
The page saysThe bird defends itself by regurgitating semi-digested meat, and the putrid smell deters most attackers.
The source saysthey are known for their defense mechanism of regurgitating semi-digested meat--which deters most predators due to its putrid smell
The page saysYes, and that is rare for a bird. Animal Diversity Web calls it one of the few bird species with an acute sense of smell.
The source saysThey are one of the few bird species that has an acute sense of smell.
The page saysIt pairs that nose with its eyesight to locate carcasses.
The source saysThey use their keen sense of smell and their vision to locate carcasses.
The page saysIt throws up.
The source saysregurgitating semi-digested meat
The page saysAnimal Diversity Web gives a wingspan of 170 to 183 cm on a body 64 to 81 cm long.
The source saysRange wingspan 170 to 183 cm
The page saysAnimal Diversity Web gives a wingspan of 170 to 183 cm on a body 64 to 81 cm long.
The source saysRange length 64 to 81 cm
The page saysWeight varies by subspecies, from 0.85 to 2 kg.
The source saysDepending on the subspecies, turkey vultures vary from 0.85 to 2 kg
The page saysAnimal Diversity Web describes the defence as regurgitating semi-digested meat, and its putrid smell is enough to deter most predators.
The source saysregurgitating semi-digested meat--which deters most predators due to its putrid smell
The page saysIt has few natural predators, though owls sometimes take young and adults.
The source saysYoung and adults are sometimes preyed on by owls. Although turkey vultures have few natural predators
The page saysA turkey vulture is more buoyant than other vultures, and a heart-rate logger showed soaring barely raised its heart rate
The source saysBased on their wing surface to weight ratio, turkey vultures have light wing loading. This makes them more buoyant in air than other vultures and better able to utilize thermalsNote: vibe.reason

Source
06

Audubon Field Guide

Turkey Vulture. Audubon Field Guide.

The page saysnesting in caves, crevices and hollow trees
The source saysNest sites are in sheltered areas, such as inside hollow trees or logs, in crevices in cliffs, under rocks, in cavesNote: stats.habitat
The page saysMostly carrion, preferring animals that died recently
The source saysMostly carrion. Feeds mainly on dead animals, preferring those recently deadNote: stats.diet
The page saysMost birds are believed to have a very poor sense of smell.
The source saysMost birds are believed to have a very poor sense of smell, but the Turkey Vulture is an exception
The page saysIt also watches the ground and the actions of other scavengers.
The source saysSeeks carrion by soaring over open or partly wooded country, watching the ground and watching the actions of other scavengers.
The page saysAudubon says the turkey vulture feeds mainly on dead animals and prefers those recently dead.
The source saysFeeds mainly on dead animals, preferring those recently dead
The page saysIt occasionally eats decaying plants, live insects or live fish in drying-up ponds.
The source saysOccasionally feeds on decaying vegetable matter, live insects, or live fish in drying-up ponds.
The page saysChicks do the same when approached in the nest, and they hiss as well.
The source saysIf young are approached in nest, they defend themselves by hissing and regurgitating.
The page saysA clutch is two eggs, sometimes one, and incubation usually takes 34 to 41 days.
The source says2, sometimes 1, rarely 3. Whitish, blotched with brown and lavender. Incubation is by both parents, usually 34-41 days.
The page saysYoung birds first fly at about 9 to 10 weeks.
The source saysAge of young at first flight about 9-10 weeks.
The page saysThe turkey vulture is an exception.
The source saysMost birds are believed to have a very poor sense of smell, but the Turkey Vulture is an exception

Source
07

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database

AnAge entry for Cathartes aura. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database.

The page saysAnAge lists a maximum longevity of 20.8 years.
The source saysMaximum longevity 20.8 years
The page saysweightKg: 2.2
The source saysAdult weight 2,200 gNote: battleStats.weightKg

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.